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Cornell Law professor William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, has filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights office accusing the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) of running more than a dozen scholarships that exclude students based on race, sex or national origin.
The 13 programs named in the complaint include awards limited to “LatinX” freshmen, “Pilipinx” students, “undocumented undergraduates,” and female-only applicants. The filing claims those criteria violate Title VI and Title IX of federal civil-rights law, which bar discrimination by federally funded schools.
“That race- and sex-based discriminatory scholarships exist at a major and highly visible public university is shocking,” Jacobson told Fox News Digital. “UCLA should know better than to run scholarships or programs that treat students differently based on race, color, national origin, or sex.”
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Professor Jacobson filed the complaint against UCLA on Friday. (Getty Images, Equal Protection Project)
The UCLA Latino Alumni Association scholarship states it was created for “incoming LatinX freshmen and transfer students,” while a Pilipino Alumni Association award is for students “who indicate their membership in the Pilipinx community.” The Undocumented Alumni Association Scholarship restricts eligibility to undocumented students, and the Raza Women’s Alumni Scholarship gives preference to “incoming Latina freshmen and transfer students.”
That language stands in contrast to remarks by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said earlier this year that “no one says Latinx.” Despite the governor’s disavowal of the term, UCLA, part of the UC system he oversees, still uses “LatinX” as an official eligibility label in a taxpayer-funded scholarship.
Other programs cited include two scholarships for students of Armenian descent and a Deloitte Foundation award that supports “meritorious female students.” The complaint argues that UCLA’s use of racial or sex-based criteria “violates federal law and the university’s own nondiscrimination policies.”
The filing asks federal officials to investigate and, if necessary, suspend UCLA’s federal funding until the programs are changed.
UCLA’s scholarship portal contains a statement defending its process for “identity-conscious” awards.
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An Ivy League law professor has filed a federal civil rights complaint against UCLA with the U.S. Department of Education. (iStock)
“UCLA administers all identity-conscious financial aid and scholarships in compliance with federal, state, and university regulations,” the statement says. “Identity-conscious awards may include a preference for a student’s race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, ethnicity, or national origin… The pooled application process allows students to be considered for multiple scholarships and is used in determining the source of a recipient’s aid, but not their eligibility, receipt, or amount of financial aid.”
Jacobson said UCLA’s policies still cross a legal line.
UCLA provides 13 identity-conscious scholarships that the Equal Protection Project claims violate both university and federal standards. (iStock)
“Creating educational opportunities based on race, color, national origin, or sex violates Titles VI and IX of the Civil Rights Act,” he said. “It’s time for higher education to focus on the inherent worth of every student rather than categorizing them by identity groups.”
The complaint, filed Nov. 7, 2025, asks the Education Department to open a formal investigation and enforce compliance with federal law.
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UCLA and Newsom’s office have not yet responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
